This offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals have been called flukes, and they have been called overrated. Looking at our division rivals, who is their most overrated player?
It’s hard to be unbiased when talking about teams that you truly do not enjoy at all. It would be a lot easier for Cincinnati Bengals fans if the team played in an easy division, but we all know what the AFC North is about. For years, the AFC North has been considered one of the best divisions in the NFL.
Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh have been two of the most consistent head coaches in the league, and the emergence of the Cleveland Browns under Kevan Stefanski has truly taken this division to the next level.
Starting with those Cleveland Browns, let’s take a look at the most overrated player on each of the Bengals’ divisional opponents’ roster.
All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.
All stats are courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
Cleveland Browns: David Njoku
David Njoku is not a bad player by any means; he is an above-average tight end in this league. There is no real chatter about Njoku being a top-tier player at his position, so why did the Browns pay him like one?
Notable tight ends that Njoku is set to make more annual money than:
- Darren Waller: 270 receptions, 3,184 yards, 16 touchdowns ($7,450,000 annually)
- Hunter Henry: 246 receptions, 2,925 yards, 30 touchdowns ($12,500,00 annually)
- Tyler Higbee: 234 receptions, 2,487 yards, 17 touchdowns ($7,250,00 annually)
The Browns signed David Njoku to a four-year, $54,750,00 contract that can get up into the $56,000,000 range. That puts his pay higher than the three players listed above, and right on par with division rival Mark Andrews, who has solidified himself as one of the best tight ends in the game. What has Njoku done?
- David Njoku: 148 receptions, 1,754 yards, 15 touchdowns ($13,687,500 annually).
The Browns have proven that they will throw around money to just about anyone, clearly; this David Njoku contract might go down as the worst signing of the offseason. For the Bengals, it makes the Hayden Hurst contract look better and better as time progresses.